Newly appointed economics minister, Woody Duh, says he will continue to reform and upgrade Taiwan’s industrial structure after assuming the new position.
Duh had originally tendered his resignation along with outgoing Economics Minister Chang Chia-juch. But Premier Jiang Yi-huah persuaded Duh to stay on and head the ministry. Duh told reporters why he decided to take the new position.
“If I can do something for my country, I will definitely do it" said Duh. "I previously said that I did not want to accept the job because I was only thinking about me and my family. But after talking with the premier on the phone, listening to his expectations for the ministry, and thinking about all my colleagues, I feel that I should stay and continue to work with them.”
The outgoing economics minister resigned because of partisan fighting over who should take responsibility for a devastating series of explosions in Kaohsiung last month. Duh said that partisan politics will continue to be the biggest hurdle for the ministry in implementing its policies. But he said he will try to communicate with the public and continue to make reforms and improve Taiwan’s economy.
Duh also said that one of his priorities will be to deal with the post-disaster efforts in Kaohsiung. He said the ministry will work with the local government to strengthen safety checks and maintenance on the underground industrial pipelines in the area. Duh said that post-disaster construction work should be completed within three to five months.